Bulgaria and Italy Support Establishment of European Centre to Counter Hybrid Attacks

Italy and Bulgaria support the idea of establishing a joint European centre to combat hybrid attacks. This became clear during an official visit to Bulgaria by Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on September 14.

At a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart at Bezmer Air Base, the two ministers discussed defence cooperation and the urgent need for a united front against the invisible weapons of the modern age – cyberattacks, disinformation and drones.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense is already working on a project to acquire counter-drone systems to protect strategic sites. Building such a defence, however, requires time and significant resources. That is why the two countries insist that Europe must act together against daily attempts to destabilise European societies.

Photos: BTA

Dimitar Stoyanov, Defence Minister:
“We supported the concept that such a unified centre in Europe really should be established. Exactly where and how it will be located is not so important. What matters is that such a centre should exist to tackle what I would describe as the threats of our time. Cyberspace and drone attacks – all of this is part of modern warfare.”

Guido Crosetto, Italian Defence Minister:
“The destruction caused by bombs is visible, while the damage caused by hybrid warfare is not, but it can be just as severe. We are not talking only about cyberattacks, but also about disinformation. Our societies are exposed to this hybrid warfare every day, while our adversaries are acting unchecked. That is why we need to develop a comprehensive approach at European level to understand how to respond.”